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Frank Verdi
Frank Michael Verdi (June 2, 1926 - July 9, 2010) was a Major League Baseball player in 1953 for the New York Yankees and a longtime manager at the minor league level. As a player, he batted and threw right-handed, stood 5'10½" (179 cm) tall and weighed 170 pounds (77 kg). He was born in Brooklyn, New York. A 1944 graduate of Brooklyn's Boys High School, Verdi attended New York University. He served in the United States Navy during World War II. Verdi only appeared in one game as a defensive replacement to Phil Rizzuto at shortstop on May 10, 1953. He did not have a plate appearance in the game, nor did he handle a chance in the field, before being replaced in the lineup. As a minor league player, Verdi was famous for his abiity to execute the hidden ball trick. In 1949, as a second baseman for the Binghamton Triplets in the Class A Eastern League, he pulled off the trick seven times in 95 games.Montague, John, Baltimore Orioles 1983 Organization Book. St. Petersburg, Florida: The Baseball Library, 1983 Verdi made a much larger mark as a minor league manager for 21 seasons (1961-70; 1972; 1974; 1977-85) at the affiliated level. He spent much of that period in the Yankees' farm system, winning Triple-A International League championships in 1969-70 (with the Syracuse Chiefs) and in 1981 (with the Columbus Clippers). He also managed the New York Mets' Tidewater Tides for four seasons (1977-80) and the Baltimore Orioles' Rochester Red Wings farm club from 1984 through June 16, 1985, and spent brief managing stints in the Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins and Washington Senators organizations. His record as a manager was 1,351 wins, 1,332 losses (.504). Verdi also survived a nearly tragic accident on July 25, 1959, when, as a player for the Rochester Red Wings, he was struck in the head by a stray bullet in Havana during a game against the Havana Sugar Kings. Verdi was standing in as the team's third base coach after the ejection of Rochester manager Cot Deal when shooting broke out in the stands. Verdi was still wearing the plastic lining in his baseball cap in lieu of a batting helmet and the lining deflected the bullet, which eventually caused a minor shoulder wound.Montague, op cit''Brosnan, Jim, ''The Long Season. New York: Harper & Row, 1960 After that, Verdi managed in independent leagues during the 1990s and for the Indios de Mayagüez of the Puerto Rico Baseball League from 1984 to 1985. His son, Mike Verdi, also was a minor league manager. Verdi died in New Port Richey, Florida, at the age of 84. References *Johnson, Lloyd, ed., The Minor League Register. Durham, N.C.: Baseball America, 1994. *Montague, John, Baltimore Orioles 1983 Organization Book. St. Petersburg, Florida: The Baseball Library, 1983. External links *Baseball Reference – Major League career statistics *Baseball Reference – Minor League career statistics *Obituary Category:Major League Baseball shortstops Category:New York Yankees players Category:International League Hall of Fame Category:Minor league managers Category:Fort Lauderdale Yankee Managers Category:Minor league baseball players Category:Amarillo Gold Sox players Category:Beaumont Exporters players Category:Binghamton Triplets players Category:Butler Yankees players Category:Charleston Senators players Category:Columbus Jets players Category:Greensboro Yankees players Category:Kansas City Blues players Category:Manchester Yankees players Category:Rochester Red Wings players Category:Sunbury Yankees players Category:Syracuse Chiefs players Category:Wellsville Yankees players Category:American military personnel of World War II Category:1926 births Category:2010 deaths Category:Shortstops Category:Managers Category:Players